Parks Canada has released a list of 74 Canadian lighthouses that have been granted heritage status. The structures that will be preserved under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act include 21 in British Columbia, 14 in Ontario, five in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, 14 in Nova Scotia, seven in Prince Edward Island, and 11 in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Marc Seguin, head of the non-profit group Save Our Lighthouses, says it’s a good first step, “considering there are more than 500 lighthouses worth preserving in Canada.” Seguin says he expects another 50 lighthouses to be added to the list over the next two years, but that total will represent only one quarter of the country’s historic lights. However, we at Lighthouse Digest immediately noticed that Gannet Rock Lighthouse was not included.

Of the 74 lighthouses designated as heritage sites, 42 will remain federal properties and active aids to navigation while the rest will be turned over to community groups, municipalities, and economic development agencies.

However, since Gannet Rock Lighthouse in New Brunswick was not included on the list and the Walpole Island Upper and Lower Lights in Ontario were on the list, politics of some kind must have played a role in the decision-making. We’re not exactly sure what criteria was used in the process, but, in our humble opinion, the Walpole Lighthouses are of no real historical significance compared to the famous Gannet Rock Lighthouse. It may be that someone decided that the famous Gannet Rock Lighthouse was too far gone and would be too expensive to restore, save, and protect. If this is the case, shame on the Canadian government. Remote and isolated lighthouses can be saved and there are plenty of examples of such around the world.

Here’s the list of the 74 lighthouses that have now been

granted heritage status:

British Columbia (21)

Active Pass on Mayne Island.

Boat Bluff on Sarah Island in the Kitimat-Stikine area.

Cape Beale in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.

Cape Mudge on Quadra Island.

Carmanah Point in the Cowichan Valley Regional District.

Dryad Point on B.C.’s Central Coast.

East Point on Saturna Island

Egg Island at Port Hardy.

Entrance Island at Nanaimo.

Estevan Point on Vancouver Island.

Fisgard at Colwood.

Green Island at Prince Rupert.

Langara Point at Masset.

McInnes Island on Milbanke Sound near Kitimat.

Merry Island along the Sunshine Coast.

Nootka at Yuquot, Vancouver Island.

Pachena Point in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.

Pulteney Point at Port McNeill.

Sheringham Point at Shirley on Vancouver Island.

Trial Islands at Oak Bay.

Triple Islands in the Skeena-Queen Charlotte area.

Ontario (14)

Bois Blanc Island in Amherstburg.

Flowerpot Island in Tobermory.

Lamb Island in Thunder Bay.

Mohawk Island in Dunnville.

McNab Point at Southampton.

Point Clark in the Huron-Kinloss area.

West Pier at Port Dover.

Prince Edward Point in Prince Edward County.

Saugeen River Front and Rear Range Lights at Southampton.

Scotch Bonnet Island in Prince Edward County.

Walpole Island Lower Light

Walpole Island Upper Light

Windmill Point at Prescott.

Quebec (5)

Ile aux Perroquets at Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan.

Ile du Havre aux Maisons at Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine.

Ile du Pot à l’Eau-de-Vie in the Kamouraska-Riviere-du-Loup region.

Pilier de Pierre at Saint-Jean-Port-Joli.

Pointe-au-Pere at Rimouski.

New Brunswick (2)

Cape Jourimain at Botsford.

Machias Seal Island southwest of Grand Manan Island.

Nova Scotia (14)

Bear River near Digby.

Boars Head near Digby.

Cape George in Antigonish County.

Coldspring Head in Northport.

Neil Harbour in Victoria County.

Pictou Island South, northwest of Caribou.

Port Mouton.

Prim Point near Digby.

Queensport on Rook Island.

Schafner Point in Annapolis County.

St. Paul Island Southwest near Dingwall.

Terence Bay.

Victoria Beach at Battery Point.

Wallace Harbour sector light in Cumberland County.

Prince Edward Island (7)

Brighton Beach front range at Charlottetown.

Cape Bear at Murray Harbour.

Cape Tryon at Park Corner.

Covehead Harbour.

Northport Rear Range.

Panmure Head at Montague.

Point Prim in Belfast.

Newfoundland and Labrador (11)

Belle Isle South near St. Anthony.

Cape Anguille in the Codroy Valley.

Cape Race.

Cape Ray.

Cape Spear near St John’s.

Cape St. Mary’s.

Fort Amherst in St. John’s.

Green Island in Catalina.

Long Point at Twillingate.

New Ferolle Peninsula.

Point Amour at L’Anse Amour.

This story appeared in the
Sep/Oct 2015 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.